Openness and transparency in the code development process

This year marks the beginning of another cycle of the development process for the International Codes. The International Code Council is the facilitator of this process, and we take that role very seriously. Our council policies provide comprehensive rules for the Code Council and our staff on how to conduct business. Instrumental to these policies is the fact that ICC is impartial and neutral in all aspects of the process.

Recently, we were made aware of a violation to our policies by a member of one of our technical committees who represented themselves as speaking on behalf of the Code Council committee in signing an advocacy letter. In addition, we were informed that at least one ICC voting member was approached by an individual implying that this individual was speaking on behalf of the Code Council in advocating for specific code change proposals. We acted quickly to correct the misinformation and to request the removal of the committee affiliation from the letter as required in Section 5.1.10 of Council Policy 7.

Please remember, the Code Council would never contact a voting member to urge him or her to vote for or against a specific proposal. We never take positions on code change proposals.

The cornerstone of the code development process is openness and transparency. All interested parties are welcome to participate. We encourage voting members to listen closely to the information presented during the hearings, to research the issues, and to form their own opinions based on the facts.

For more information about our policies, please visit https://www.iccsafe.org/icc-bylaws-and-council-policies/.